TI has been active in Africa and the Middle East since its creation. Several programmes and activities were implemented over the years and this page tries to give you an overview of TI's work in that region and the achievements in the fight against corruption up to now.

Creating Baseline Knowledge to Steer the Anti-Corruption Fight in Southern Africa

With financial support from the European Investment Bank (EIB), TI implemented, between July 2006 and December 2007, a programme that aimed at providing activists, decision makers, reformers and other actors in the fight against corruption in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region with in-depth analysis of the manifestation of corruption and guidance as to how to efficiently combat it. The specific objectives of the programme were to identify main strengths and weaknesses of the National Integrity Systems in the SADC region, produce NIS Studies in at least 80% of the countries of the SADC region, provide region-based input into national action plans against corruption, and to develop a deployment strategy for TI in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The countries participating in the programme were Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, DR Congo, and Mauritius.

The project was successfully completed in 2007. To learn more about the outcomes of the project please download the final report here. The NIS studies as well as the NIS overview study can be downloaded at the reports and studies page.

Promoting the African Union Anti-Corruption Convention

The PAUCC was a three year project (2003 – 2006) funded by Ireland Aid. The programme aimed to promote the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and related Offences, in particular its ratification by African governments, and monitor its implementation. To achieve these objectives, the programme built the capacity of African parliamentarians, journalists and civil society organisations to campaign for the ratification of of the AU Convention and the incorporation of its disposition into national policies, laws and practices. The programme also equipped civil society activists with the technical knowledge and tools to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of national laws complying with the AU Convention. Activities implemented within the programme included the publication of plain language versions of the convention, 10 country studies, advocacy guides, workshops and a monitoring group. As of September 2008, 27 African countries have ratified the AU Convention.

Promoting the Business Principles in the MENA region

During 2007, the MENA department, as part of its increased outreach to the private sector, held a series of workshops within the framework of the project ‘Promoting the Business Principles in the MENA region’. This project, funded by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in Washington DC, was targeted at the private sector in the MENA region and aimed to introduce, to an Arab audience, how the business principles for countering bribery could be successfully used as a tool to promote increased transparency within their firms. 3 Regional Workshops were held; in Jordan for the Levant; in Morocco for the North African countries and in Bahrain for the Arab Gulf countries. They were extremely well received. Over the cause of the programme, over 100 business people from approximately 100 different corporations throughout the Arab world were introduced to the business principles. It is hoped that a community of practice, initiated by the workshops will continue to grow.

Promoting the UN Convention against Corruption in the Middle East and North Africa

This project was a follow-up to the G8 BMENA Civil Society Dialogue on transparency and anti-corruption, which produced a Platform for Action on transparency and anti-corruption. The aim of the project was to promote the ratification and effective implementation of the UNCAC in three countries (Bahrain, Lebanon, Morocco) in the MENA region. Outcomes of the project included studies of a number of MENA countries regarding obstacles to UNCAC ratification (country implementation reports, comparative analysis, TI expert papers and advocacy tools), experience sharing and lessons learned. An UNCAC Advocacy Guide was published in English and Arabic (download). In addition, training sessions for representatives from the TI National Chapters were held and Civil Society Organisations' capacity for campaigning strategies was improved.

As of December 2008, 10 countries (including Morocco) in the Middle East and North Africa have ratified the UNCAC. Also Iraq and Mauritania have accessed the convention. The UNCAC agreement was signed by Bahrain, Iran and Syria.

Equipping the Civil Society to Combat Corruption in the Arab World programme

“Equipping the Civil Society to Combat Corruption in the Arab World” was a European Commission-financed capacity-building programme for the Middle East implemented by TI between 2003 and 2005. The project included three elements: the adaptation of the TI source book to the Arab context by a group of writers from across the Arab world; the creation of a network of anti-corruption activists in the MENA region and the reinforcement of the capacity of Arab NGOs working on good governance. The programme enhanced the watchdog functions of civil society in the region and increased the participation of civil society organisations in policy design and governance monitoring. The project also saw the implementation of capacity-building workshops in Morocco, Lebanon and Bahrain to strengthen the network of anti-corruption activists in the region through training, technical assistance, seed funds and mutual visits. Workshop recommendations served as inputs into the adaptation of the TI Source Book relevant to the realities of the MENA region comprising of a highly useful tool for activists and policymakers.

The Source Book for the Arab world can be downloaded here.